Travel Smart

Don't Let Petty Crime Spoil Your Vacation

February 07, 1999|By Cynthia Boal Janssens. Special to the Tribune.

It was about 9:15 in the evening and we three women were strolling through the gothic section of Barcelona, Spain, an area of winding streets filled with cafes and shops and plenty of people, when we stopped in a doorway to look at a menu.

Suddenly, there was an explosive sound behind us. My friend Sylvia was carrying a bottle of liqueur to take back to the States and I was sure she had dropped it. I fully expected to turn and see her drenched in Schnapps Limon-Vert. Instead, I was to hear her gasp, "He took my purse!"

A few months later, I was touring the old town of Quito, Ecuador, with a group of fellow writers when one fellow was jostled. After he recovered, he discovered that the side pocket of his pants had been slit.

In the cheery city of Dublin, three of my friends were taking a Sunday afternoon stroll, visiting the churches of that fair city. One of the three was a husky fellow well over 6 feet tall. However, one of the group was lagging behind, taking pictures. A fellow ran up behind her, grabbed her shoulder bag and kept on running. Only Dixie didn't let go. She held on tight and was dragged for several yards before she got her wits about her and opened her hand. He ran on and was immediately picked up at the curb by a car that had been following.

I tell you these stories not to scare you from going out on the streets when you travel, but to let you know that petty crime is alive and flourishing in most tourist areas and that you have to be ever-vigilant to prevent it. And, even if you are careful, you still may be victimized, so it is important to reduce your losses.

So what to do? Let's retrace these incidents. Technically, these people encountered a purse-snatcher, a pickpocket and a mugger. But who really cares about such distinctions?

In Barcelona, we now realize that Sylvia was perhaps easy target. First, she is 72; purse-snatchers often prey on older folks and women, who they know won't or can't chase them. She was wearing a brightly colored jacket from a running suit -- the cosmopolitan folks who live in Barcelona do not wear running suits in their city center on a Saturday night. Dark or neutral clothing is best. Last, she was wearing a small purse on a string around her neck, in clear sight. It should have been tucked inside.

So remember: Look at what the local people are wearing and try to blend in. Try not to gawk. Carry only a small purse or waist pack and keep it out of sight. There is a myth that waist packs are the best way to protect your valuables; definitely not so. Slick thieves can ride up alongside you on a bicycle and slit the waistband and be off with your goods in a blink. I suggest using waist packs to carry small cameras, tissues, sunglasses and petty cash. Keep credit cards and anything else you can't afford to lose elsewhere.

In the second incident, my friend Wayne really wasn't doing anything wrong. He was wearing cargo pants and the local thugs thought he might be carrying a wallet or a wad of cash in there. They came up empty-handed in this case, but his pants were ruined.

Men should be very careful about carrying wallets when traveling. My advice is: don't. Put your wallet in the hotel's safety deposit box and carry with you only the amount of cash you think you will need that day and one credit card. Mind you, only one credit card. If you really need the security of two, give the other to your traveling companion to carry. A good place for men to carry valuables is in the inside chest pocket of a travel vest, in a pocket with a zipper. Travel vests really are becoming the travel accessory, for men and women.

In the Dublin incident, I believe Dixie was targeted because she was a few steps behind her companions (they obviously were not deterred by Tyler, who is a real big guy) and because her purse was in clear view. If you absolutely must carry a larger purse, be sure to carry it with the strap across your shoulders (not over just one shoulder) and keep it in front of you with your hand on it. Even so, it someone wants to cut the strap and yank it away, be wary of holding on too long or you could be injured. Dixie was very shaken up and sore for days.

Also, she had her passport and several credit cards in her purse and had to spend most of a day dealing with the loss of those crucial items. Keep your passport in the hotel safety deposit box or with your cruise ship purser. Never carry all of your cash with you; divide it up and always leave some back in the room, perhaps tucked into the toe of a boot.

A final suggestion: Clean out your purse or wallet before leaving on your trip and bring with you only the essential credit cards. Also carry with you the numbers you need to cancel these cards immediately if they are stolen. (The officer at the Barcelona police station knew the Visa and MasterCard cancellation numbers by heart. I wonder why?) Leave all the other cards at home. Most of us tend to carry a fistful of cards; what a pain it is to have to cancel all of them.

Ditto for jewelry. We love to wear our best jewelry when we travel, but that is risky. Bring what you can wear -- and keep that simple -- and leave the rest behind. (Be sure to leave it in a safe place at home, lest you be victimized by thieves who prey on those who are traveling.) Rely on nice costume jewelry. This I know; I lost some very valuable jewelry, including an engagement ring, when my bag was rifled in Miami Airport.

I know, I know. The jewelry should not have been packed; of course, I should have been carrying it. But mistakenly it was packed, the only time I can ever remember that occurring, and I lost it all.